Open Journal of Agricultural Research

Smallholder farmers face challenges when they lack information on their agricultural activities. To address this, we suggest a web-based system that can be used by farmers to help them in decision making considering the fact that all necessary information is provided by the system. Farmers can input crop type they want to grow and area. This data will help to... Smallholder farmers face challenges when they lack information on their agricultural activities. To address this, we suggest a web-based system that can be used by farmers to help them in decision making considering the fact that all necessary information is provided by the system. Farmers can input crop type they want to grow and area. This data will help to recommend them the best crops that are suitable to be grown in that area and the necessary growing practices that can be done to produce high yield and have maximum profits, considering the average rainfall of that year. A persistent issue we face in Zimbabwe is the lack of access to reliable agricultural data. In the agricultural sector, one major uncertainty for farmers is the outlook of their future harvest. Once their produce is ready for sale, the presence of other potential buyers compels traders to offer prices that align closely with those in the formal market. However, without timely information, traders can take advantage of the situation by purchasing crops at unfairly low rates. Having data that tracks prices across various markets in near real-time would enable farmers to have a precise and complete understanding of their selling choices to maximize their profits. Read more

Fiber characteristics of Musa balbisiana, Musa paradisiaca and Musa sapientum pseudo-stalks were investigated. Fiber characteristics such as fiber length, fiber diameter, lumen width, and cell wall thickness were measured in the macerated banana pseudo-stalk by microscopy. Slenderness ratio, flexibility coefficient (%) and Runkel ratio were also determined from these microscopic measurements. Mean value of the properties evaluated for Musa sp.... Fiber characteristics of Musa balbisiana, Musa paradisiaca and Musa sapientum pseudo-stalks were investigated. Fiber characteristics such as fiber length, fiber diameter, lumen width, and cell wall thickness were measured in the macerated banana pseudo-stalk by microscopy. Slenderness ratio, flexibility coefficient (%) and Runkel ratio were also determined from these microscopic measurements. Mean value of the properties evaluated for Musa sp. respectively were as follows: Fiber length- 2.96mm; Fiber diameter- 21.71µm; Lumen width- 13.55µm; Cell wall thickness- 3.86µm; Flexibility ratio- 66.35%; Runkel ratio- 0.66 and Relative fiber length- 159.12. Based on the findings of this study the Musa sp. pseudo stalk is suitable for pulp and paper production due to its high quality of fibers. Read more

The study aimed to assess the impact of off-season vegetable farming on farmers in the Savelugu Municipality in the Northern Region. The study population consisted of all respondents to off-season vegetable farming in the Savelugu Municipality in the five selected communities in the Northern Region. A purposive sampling technique was used for a sample size of fifty (50) off-season farmers... The study aimed to assess the impact of off-season vegetable farming on farmers in the Savelugu Municipality in the Northern Region. The study population consisted of all respondents to off-season vegetable farming in the Savelugu Municipality in the five selected communities in the Northern Region. A purposive sampling technique was used for a sample size of fifty (50) off-season farmers in the selected communities. An interview guide and questionnaire were used to solicit data to conclude the findings. The data derived from the questionnaire were analysed in a step-by-step thematic analysis that included reading the transcriptions several times, coding, generating codes, and reviewing and naming themes. Afterwards, the questionnaire and interview guide responses were transferred into Microsoft Excel under assigned variable names. Descriptive statistics, namely frequency, means, and percentages, were used to analyse the data. Off-season vegetable production technology can be gained by using different agro-climatic regions, maintaining or adjusting planting time, selecting varieties, and creating artificial and controlled environments through tunnels, polytene houses, glass houses, hotbeds, etc. Moreover, Off-Season vegetables helped earn income and ranked highest with an overall mean score of 1. Nearly all the trained farmers said their primary constraint was the high incidence of pests and diseases. It is evident that off-season cultivation is profitable and significantly impacts the farmers' consumption expenditure and food security status. Therefore, providing improved and modern agricultural inputs to off-season farmers is essential for rural agricultural development. Read more

Quantitatively, this study aimed to determine the abundance and diversity of the insect fauna that visits the staminate and pistillate flowers of Cocos nucifera. The study was conducted at an experimental plantation belonging to the Coconut Research Programme (CRP) of the Oil Palm Research Institute (OPRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), to provide diagnostic support for... Quantitatively, this study aimed to determine the abundance and diversity of the insect fauna that visits the staminate and pistillate flowers of Cocos nucifera. The study was conducted at an experimental plantation belonging to the Coconut Research Programme (CRP) of the Oil Palm Research Institute (OPRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), to provide diagnostic support for the Cape St. Paul Wilt Disease (CSPWD) at Asebu in the Central Region of Ghana. The populations of coconut palms represented the dwarf type with few tall ecotypes. Five Insects were randomly chosen with newly opened inflorescences. Observations and collections of insect visitors to coconut flowers were made once a week on 30 newly opened inflorescences, five from each batch within the plantation. Specimens of the data were deposited in the official insect collection and processed at the laboratory of the Entomology Museum of the Department of Conservation Biology and Entomology, University of Cape Coast, Ghana. The study indicated that 9 different species of insects were identified to be the true fauna that visited the staminate and pistillate flowers of C. nucifera Ethiosciapus sp., Sarcophaga sp., Scolia dubia, Lucilia sp., Ornidia sp., Apis melifera, Dactylurina standingeri, Red Ant and Black Ant. These insects were observed in all the six batches considered and were available at all times of the day. Most of the insects were observed in the early morning from 6 am - 9 am followed by the evening 4 pm –7 pm. The abundance of insect visitors was low during the mid-day (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) in all six batches during high temperatures. The results of this study revealed that there were abundances of Ethioscipus sp. was the least abundant in all the batches followed by Scolia dubia then Sarcophaga sp. Red Ants had the highest abundance in most of the Batches thus becoming the most abundant insect that forage the coconut inflorescence at the Asebu plantation. The bees, Apis melifera and Dactylurina standingeri were the most abundant species after the Red Ants. All these groups of insects were not considered in the study and it is recommended that further studies consider such visitors to observe which insects are doing what on the inflorescence. The range for the ‘time of day for’ of the study was mostly diurnal (morning 6 am-9 am, afternoon 11 am-2 pm and evening 4 pm7 pm). There was no observation made of the pollination system or activities of these insect visitors nocturnally. There may be high pollination activities of these insects during the late evenings. It is recommended that future work should incorporate the late evening period to observe an abundance of diurnal insect visitors of the coconut inflorescences.Keywords: Insect, Fauna, Staminate, Pistillate Flowers, Cocos nucifera Read more

This experimental study was carried out to evaluate the effect of three selected pollinator-friendly practices on the African eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum) at Mankessim in the Central region of Ghana. The study focused on determining how the practices affect the production and yield of garden eggs. The three pollinator-friendly practices were the use of mulch, cassava hedgerow/marigold plants and controlled pesticide... This experimental study was carried out to evaluate the effect of three selected pollinator-friendly practices on the African eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum) at Mankessim in the Central region of Ghana. The study focused on determining how the practices affect the production and yield of garden eggs. The three pollinator-friendly practices were the use of mulch, cassava hedgerow/marigold plants and controlled pesticide application in garden egg farms. Experimental-control group design was used. Mulching positively influenced the number of flowers, fruits and height of garden eggplants. Cassava hedgerow/marigold plants influenced the number of flowers, but had no significant effect on the number of fruits and plants’ height. There was no effect on the number of flowers, fruits, and height of garden eggplants when pesticide application was controlled or uncontrolled. No significant influence was observed in fruit weight in all treatment and control plots. The growth and yield trends observed in this research indicated that practicing the three pollinator-friendly practices may encourage flower visitors leading to effective pollination and increased yields. It is recommended that mulching be practised in garden egg farming to increase the growth and productivity of garden eggplants. Read more

The government of Mexico City carried out the introduction of palm trees in the 50s to increase the visual appearance of the main avenues. As a result of introduction of these exotic species, phytosanitary problems appeared. Currently there is scarce information on how to evaluate the health of these majestic monocots, in this sense, it is necessary to implement assessment... The government of Mexico City carried out the introduction of palm trees in the 50s to increase the visual appearance of the main avenues. As a result of introduction of these exotic species, phytosanitary problems appeared. Currently there is scarce information on how to evaluate the health of these majestic monocots, in this sense, it is necessary to implement assessment scales to determine the health condition of the most frequently found species to advance on their care and management. The present study had the following objectives: 1) To determine the current state of health of palm trees by means of a scale of visual evaluation of the crown; 2) To know the diversity and structural characteristics of palm trees and 3) To determine the influence of composite variables on the ecosystem services such as the amount of shade provided. Health of palm trees were evaluated two times (dry and rainy seasons in 2022) on 35 transects of 200 m length. An imaginary circle divided into twelfths was overlapped on palm tree “crowns”, and through it, two absolute variables, Live Crown Ratio (LCR) and Crown Quality (CQ) were evaluated. Composite variables were also calculated. The 12/12 health scale adapted in the present study was useful. Four health categories were obtained for the Live crown ratio (LCR): 7.62% of the palm trees were in critical condition, 7.80% were in intermediate condition, 80.36% were in normal condition, and 4.20% were in excellent condition. Meanwhile, for crown quality (CQ), the percentages were 13.50%, 20.00%, 56.96% and 0.43%, respectively. The total height and “crown” diameter showed a positive correlation with the volume composite variables. The shadow area projected as an important ecosystem service increased as the health of the palm trees improved. This is the first study on palm trees health assessment in Mexico City. Read more